Applicant has long ago recognized the desirability of providing a superior line of motionless mixers, that is, mixing elements which do not rely upon any moving parts to create an enhance the mixing operation. Motionless or static mixers generally operate on the principal of creating velocity vectors, increasing the contact area between fluids to be mixed and/or splitting a fluid stream into subparts and then recombining the subparts all to enhance the mixing of fluids in a conduit.
One area that is ideally suited to the application of static mixers is in water treatment Additives, such as chlorine, can be introduced and uniformly dispersed into an aqueous fluid stream using such devices. This environment deals with relatively low viscosity liquids and the introduction of additives in low concentrations which, again, is an ideal environment for mixers of the type described herein In this regard, reference is made to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is directed to a previous designed stationary material mixing and distribution apparatus employed by applicant for water treatment applications. The apparatus is generally employed by nesting four individual mixing and distribution devices in a square or rectangular array. Specifically, stationary material mixing and distribution apparatus 10 is shown composed of four sub-conduits although the number of sub-conduits can vary depending upon application. Each sub conduit is composed of sidewalls 12 and 14 which are substantially parallel to one another and are orthogonal to the bottom 15 and top 26 The conduit has open ends 12 and 14 to enable a fluid, such as water to travel through the conduit in the direction of arrows 19. As fluid flows through the conduit, additive is introduced via vertically oriented tubes 16 having a plurality of additive ports 17 such that additive flows in the direction of arrows 18. Upon doing so, the main fluid and additive confront diagonally oriented baffles 21, 22 and 23, which are impacted by fluids flowing in the direction of arrows 18 and 19, resulting in turbulent redirection of such fluid flow resulting in mixing while being mindful of any pressure drop related thereto. Although such a configuration has proven to be successful, it is now determined that more efficient mixing can be achieved at minimal pressure drops to which the present invention is directed
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a stationary material mixing and distribution apparatus which is more efficient than similar devices of the prior art and at very low pressure drops
It is yet a further object of the present invention to teach an element for use in a stationary material mixing and distribution device which greatly enhances mixing, particularly in aqueous and low viscosity fluid streams ideally suited in water treatment facilities.
These and further objects will be readily apparent when considering the following disclosure and appended claims.